UT 17, BYU 16: Who will be Texas’ QB?

I know it has taken me awhile to voice my post-game thoughts on Texas’ one-point victory over BYU. But excuse me if I can barely talk after screaming for a Longhorn comeback. If there is anything that can be said about the 17-16 win, it’s that home-field advantage played a huge role. After the 100,000+ crowd openly booed in the first half to get Garrett Gilbert off the field (And no Mack, everyone actually wasn’t booing you. It was absolutely aimed at Gilbert. It’s hard to justify booing a kid, but for most fans it was just too hard to hold their tongues any longer.) the fourth quarter brought cheers and excited from the burnt orange faithful as the defense needed the extra push to stop the Cougar offense. Not since 2009 have I heard that much noise at DKR. It felt like we were watching meaningful football again.

So the big question after the close win is this. Who will play quarterback for the Horns? The depth chart for UCLA shows Case McCoy and David Ash in an either/or position as the No. 1 and 2 QBs. But what can we truly expect from these two? Looking back at the film of the BYU game, McCoy rarely stood in the pocket to deliver a pass. Almost every completion came as a result of him breaking out of the collapsing pocket to deliver a pass. Yes he completed 7-8 passing, but how long can he survive like that with faster defenses approaching on the horizon. As for Ash, he only knows so many plays before he has to start repeating the same moves over and over again. He may end up being the full-time starter next season, but for now he’s limited.

Unfortunately, it seems like the best option would be for Gilbert to get his head right somehow and become the quarterback we all expected him to be. He has the physical tools (of which McCoy does not) and he has the knowledge and experience (of which Ash does not) to lead a football team. He just has to get through the mental roadblocks that are keeping him from succeeding. The best thing to see on the sidelines against BYU was that Gilbert “didn’t go into the tank” as Co-O Coordinator Bryan Harsin put it. Gilbert put on a headset and became another coach on the field, letting McCoy and Ash know what defensive looks BYU was giving him on the field. He may not start the game against UCLA, but I have no doubt in my mind that we have not seen the last of Gilbert as a starter for UT.

Let’s just hope this merry-go-round ends soon, because when you have three quarterbacks you actually have none. As cliche as it sounds, it applies.

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